{ "id": "epafgavn9e", "slug": "zhang-yi-epafgavn9e", "title": "Zhang Yi (Song dynasty civil official, 章谊)", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.history", "label": "History and archaeology", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history" }, { "id": "society.history.asia", "label": "Asian history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china.n-song", "label": "Northern Song (960 to 1127)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china.n-song" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials", "label": "Statesmen and civil officials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials.late-northern-song-officials-1085-1127", "label": "Late Northern Song officials, 1085–1127", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials.late-northern-song-officials-1085-1127" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials.late-northern-song-officials-1085-1127", "label": "China · 1000 to 1799: Late Northern Song officials, 1085–1127", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials.late-northern-song-officials-1085-1127", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000", "label": "China · 1000 to 1799", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history", "label": "History and archaeology", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia", "label": "Asian history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.n-song", "label": "Northern Song (960 to 1127)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.n-song" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials", "label": "Statesmen and civil officials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials.late-northern-song-officials-1085-1127", "label": "Late Northern Song officials, 1085–1127", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials.late-northern-song-officials-1085-1127" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Zhang Yi (章谊, 1078–1138, courtesy name Yisou) was a Song dynasty civil official who rose to Minister of Justice and Minister of Revenue and served as envoy to the Jin state.", "snippet": "Zhang Yi (章谊, 1078–1138, courtesy name Yisou) was a Song dynasty civil official who rose to Minister of Justice and Minister of Revenue and served as envoy to the Jin state.", "node": "society.history.asia.china.n-song.statesmen-and-civil-officials.late-northern-song-officials-1085-1127", "markdown": "# Zhang Yi (Song dynasty civil official, 章谊)\n\nZhang Yi (章谊, 1078–1138, courtesy name Yisou 宜叟) was a [Song dynasty](https://www.edgepedia.org/song-dynasty) civil official who rose from county-level posts to become Minister of Justice and Minister of Revenue, and who served as the court's envoy to the [Jin state](https://www.edgepedia.org/jin-state).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) • [2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339) His posthumous name was Zhongke (忠恪).[2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Name | Zhang Yi 章谊, courtesy name Yisou 宜叟[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) |\n| Life | 1078–1138; died at age 61[2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339) |\n| Native place | 建州浦城, per the 《宋史》 biography[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) |\n| Jinshi degree | 崇宁四年 (1105)[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) |\n| Highest offices | Minister of Justice (刑部尚书) and Minister of Revenue (户部尚书)[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) |\n| Embassy to Jin | As 军前奉表通问使 with Sun Jin (孙近) as deputy[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) |\n| Posthumous name | 忠恪 (Zhongke)[2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339) |\n| Children | Eight sons, the eldest being Zhang Xuan (章駽)[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) • [2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339) |\n\n## Origins and family\n\nThe 《宋史》 biography states that Zhang Yi was a native of 建州浦城.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) The China Biographical Database records his father as Zhang Ci (章赐), an elder brother Zhang Yun (章云), and his wife's elder brother Liu Tingjun (柳庭俊).[2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339) His birth year comes from the CBDB row; the history itself records only that he died in the eighth year of 绍兴 at sixty-one.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) • [2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339)\n\nAccording to the 诗词志 (Shicizhi) website, the 《昭德先生郡斋读书志》 appendix gives 丹阳 (in present-day Jiangsu (江苏)) as his native place and a jinshi year of 崇宁二年 (1103), while noting that the 《宋史》 gives 建州浦城 and 崇宁四年.[3](https://shicizhi.com/Author/S_ZHANG-YI_6eab01ab672aa652)\n\n## Career\n\nZhang Yi passed the jinshi examination in 崇宁四年 (1105) and was appointed Judicial Officer of Huaizhou (怀州), then served as instructor in the prefectures of Zhang (漳) and Tai (台) and as Vice Prefect of Hangzhou (杭州).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) Early in the 建炎 era, when the rebel [Chen Tong](https://www.edgepedia.org/chen-tong) attacked 钱塘 and the city was sealed, the circuit supervisor ordered Zhang Yi to assemble archer troops from Hangzhou's seven counties; he entered the city with the general [Wang Yuan](https://www.edgepedia.org/wang-yuan) (王渊), and after the rebellion was suppressed he carried out the pacification, for which the people were grateful.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) According to the China Biographical Database (CBDB), the person held a post as Director of the Granaries Bureau (仓部郎中).[2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339) \n\nWhen the mutiny of Miao and Liu (苗、刘) broke out and the emperor appeared on the tower with his officials, the counselor Shi Ximeng (时希孟) proposed \"asking the three armies\"; Zhang Yi stepped out of his rank and rebuked him, asking what asking the armies could mean except stirring up further disorder. The emperor praised him; after order was restored, Shi Ximeng was banished to Jiyangjun (吉阳军) and Zhang Yi was promoted two grades and made Granaries Bureau Vice Director.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) As Palace Censor he criticized [He Li](https://www.edgepedia.org/he-li) (何㮚)'s conduct of defense and, when [Zhang Jun](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-jun) (张浚) was appointed to pacify Shaanxi, memorialized that his powers were too concentrated and a deputy should be appointed.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) He also urged the establishment of a navy at the imperial residence, describing a three-tier fleet of large formation ships, war vessels, and small signal boats, and submitted a four-point strategy on rivers and sea defense, grain transport, control of generals, and taxation.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379)\n\nIn 绍兴二年 he was appointed Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review; the emperor refused to send him out to head Pingjiang (平江), saying that as a scholar he relied on Zhang Yi's fair and lenient judicial decisions so that the people suffered no injustice.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) He then served as Vice Minister of Personnel, proposing a compiled code of appointment rules so that clerks could no longer manipulate the records, and as Vice Minister of Justice he proposed a systematic revision of the 绍兴 codes, which counties were applying inconsistently.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) \n\nThe Jin sent Li Yongshou (李永寿) and [Wang Yi](https://www.edgepedia.org/wang-yi) (王翊) to demand the return of prisoners held by [Liu Yu](https://www.edgepedia.org/liu-yu-jin-puppet-emperor-of-great-qi) (刘豫) and of northwesterners in the southeast, and to set the Yangtze as Liu Yu's boundary. When the Vice Grand Councilor Xi Yi (席益) declined the mission on account of his mother's age and recommended Zhang Yi, the emperor added the title [Academician](https://www.edgepedia.org/academician) of the Longtu Hall and sent him as envoy, with Sun Jin as deputy.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) At Yunzhong (云中) he argued with the Jin commanders Zhan Han (粘罕) and Wu Shi (兀室) without yielding; when the Jin pressed him to return quickly he answered that he had traveled ten thousand li bearing the emperor's commission and must await a reply, and the Jin then had Xiao Qing (萧庆) deliver their letter.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) On the way home Liu Yu detained him at Nanjing (南京), but he escaped by a stratagem. The emperor commended him and promoted him to Minister of Justice; that winter he accompanied the emperor's personal campaign, and after the great victory at Huaiyin (淮阴) he was transferred to Minister of Revenue.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) The CBDB row records a tenure as Minister of Revenue.[2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339)\n\nAs Revenue Minister he memorialized that the Shipping Commission (发运使), which supervised the southeast's tax deliveries, had failed its duty for years, with tribute from Chuan (川), Guang (广), and Jinghu (荆湖) not reaching the court, and proposed relocating its seat and restoring transport intendants to secure the ministry's finances.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) He later asked for a prefecture on grounds of illness and was appointed prefect of Wenzhou (温州); severe drought brought rice costing a thousand cash per dou, and by applying Liu Yan (刘晏)'s method of inviting merchants and raising the purchase price at official markets he drew rice merchants in and the price stabilized on its own, for which he was promoted one grade.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) According to his biography in the *Song Shi*, he then moved to head Pingjiang, managing the heavy supply burden of the emperor's planned visit; the emperor granted him a belt and tablet and told him the gift was too small to repay his labor. The CBDB row records a prefectural command post and a superior-prefecture directorship.[2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339)\n\nThe next year, when the court moved to Jiankang (建康), he returned as Minister of Revenue and proposed a military-agricultural colony policy: since the court could not afford to supply every displaced household in Jingxi (京西), Hubei (湖北), and the Huai regions with oxen, seed, and grain, the three great commanders should each be granted several counties' land to distribute to their soldiers, with the surplus reducing transport costs.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) When the emperor returned to Lin'an (临安), Zhang Yi became Academician of Duanming Hall, Pacification Commissioner of Jiangnandonglu (江南东路), prefect of Jiankangfu (建康府), and Regent of the Auxiliary Palace; soon after he was given the sinecure of Supervising the Mingdao Palace of Haozhou (毫州).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) The CBDB dates the Duanming Hall academician title and the Jiankang palace regency to 绍兴 8 (1138).[2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339)\n\n## Political influence\n\nZhang Yi's influence ran through institutional memorials rather than factional power. His proposals on the navy, on the four-part strategy for river and sea defense, on codifying personnel appointment rules, on revising the 绍兴 legal codes, and on rebuilding the palace guard were all submitted as concrete programs, and his memorial on the Shipping Commission and transport intendants addressed the fiscal machinery that fed the court from the southeast.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) His colony proposal sought to make the armies feed themselves from assigned counties, easing the burden of transport.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) In the 明堂 sacrifice dispute he argued, against a proposal to sacrifice to both Heaven and Earth with both Taizu and Taizu's successor as attendants, that the ceremony should honor Heaven alone with Taizong as attendant, tracing the ritual history from 皇祐二年 (1050) through 嘉祐七年 (1062); his position was not adopted.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) The biography notes that censors in his day typically spoke out of private grievance or acted as instruments of revenge, while Zhang Yi preserved the larger principles, so that scholarly opinion rallied to him.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379)\n\n## Death, titles, and heirs\n\nZhang Yi died in the eighth year of 绍兴 at sixty-one and was given the posthumous name 忠恪.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) • [2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339) The biography names eight sons: [Zhang Xuan](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-xuan), Zhang Ju (章驹), Zhang Si (章驷), Zhang Dian (章驔), Zhang Cui (章𩤏), Zhang Jiong (章駉), Zhang Chi (章驰), and Zhang Yin (章骃); the CBDB identifies Zhang Xuan as the eldest son, Zhang Ju the second, and Zhang Si the third.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) • [2](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339) His mother was still living at his death, aged ninety-two.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379)\n\n## Assessment\n\nThe standard history calls Zhang Yi a generous and tolerant elder, and records that his memorials in office numbered in the tens to over a hundred, all strategies for governing the state and meeting the times.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379) • [4](https://shishuguan.com/books/songshi-baihuawen-full/volume-4/chapter-379) It preserves one episode as a measure of the man: when he was chosen for the Jin embassy although his own mother was old, the emperor offered to speak with him personally, but Zhang Yi showed no hesitation, ordered his family not to tell her, and on departure told her only that the trip would resemble his old leave-taking from the Imperial University; when he returned, his mother still did not know he had gone to Jin.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379)\n\n## Legacy\n\nA collected works, the *Collected Writings of Duke Zhongke* (《忠恪公文集》), in some twenty juan, is recorded in the 《郡斋读书志》 appendix but is lost; five or so of Zhang Yi's poems survive.[3](https://shicizhi.com/Author/S_ZHANG-YI_6eab01ab672aa652) \n\n## References\n\n1. 《宋史》卷三百七十九 章谊传, Wikisource transcription. https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/宋史/卷379\n2. China Biographical Database (CBDB), person 339 章谊. https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0000339\n3. 章谊, 诗词志 (citing 《昭德先生郡斋读书志》卷五下附志 and 《宋史》). https://shicizhi.com/Author/S_ZHANG-YI_6eab01ab672aa652\n4. 《宋史·章谊传》白话译文, 史书馆. https://shishuguan.com/books/songshi-baihuawen-full/volume-4/chapter-379\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › History and archaeology › Asian history › China › Northern Song (960 to 1127) › Statesmen and civil officials › Late Northern Song officials, 1085–1127*\n\n*Initially written Sep 23, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-yi-epafgavn9e", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-yi-epafgavn9e.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Zhang Yi (Song dynasty civil official, 章谊)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-yi-epafgavn9e. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Zhang Yi (Song dynasty civil official, 章谊)](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-yi-epafgavn9e)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-yi-epafgavn9e](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-yi-epafgavn9e). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Zhang Yi (Song dynasty civil official, 章谊)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-yi-epafgavn9e. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Zhang Yi was a Song dynasty civil official who rose to Minister of Justice and Minister of Revenue and served as envoy to the Jin state." }